LAS VEGAS, NV – AUGUST 23: (L-R) Competitors Jacqueline Cavalcanti of Brazil and Josiane Nunes of Brazil face off during the UFC Fight Night weigh-ins at UFC APEX on August 23, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
The second bout at UFC Las Vegas 96 on Saturday featured bantamweights Jacqueline Cavalcanti and Josiane Nunes.
Following on from just one bout, newcomer Wang Kong was coming off a brutal knockout win over Victoria Leonardo, making the fight between these two tough to follow.
While it was Nunes’ first loss during her time with UFC, former LFA champion Cavalcanti was coming off a win over Zara Fearn in her previous promotional debut.
It was Nunes who applied the pressure early on, trying to get in on the taller and longer Cavalcanti. Just a minute into the bout, the referee warned Cavalcanti for extending a finger, but thankfully it never actually landed.
Cavalcanti started on the outside with a one-two and circled around, making it difficult for Nunes to get distance. Cavalcanti’s height worked to her advantage, at least until Nunes got attacked and pushed her against the fence. But that didn’t last long, as Cavalcanti circled around to the outside. Nunes ate a right on her next charge, but Cavalcanti followed up with a kick to the body. At the same time, a bump appeared on Cavalcanti’s forehead, indicating that Nunes was having success when she got inside.
As the second round began, Nunes continued to look for a way inside. Cavalcanti mostly circled around to avoid danger. Nunes tried to block her opponent at an angle, which allowed Cavalcanti to back away with punches. Nunes landed chops on the inside of Cavalcanti’s lead leg and tried to land left hands. At least one of them caught Cavalcanti, and he almost certainly felt the heat behind it.
Later in the round, Cavalcanti again used her length and reach to her advantage, landing a few long jabs. Cavalcanti continued to move, never moving long enough for Nunes to land more than a punch or two. But with just over a minute left in the second round, Nunes lunged in and Cavalcanti quickly covered her eye. Replays showed it may have actually been a punch, but Nunes was given a warning anyway.
In the third round, urged by her corner, Nunes went in to the body early. Nunes, who had struggled with distance for much of the fight, was now fighting with a bit more urgency. Cavalcanti landed an uppercut just over two minutes into the round, partially landing. Moments later, Cavalcanti lost her balance and fell to her back, but she got up before Nunes could gain the advantage.
The fight went a full round and there was a bit of a surprise when one judge awarded all three rounds to Nunes, but the other two overturned it and scored it 29-28 for Jacqueline Cavalcanti.
Official result: Jacqueline Cavalcanti defeats Josiane Nunes via split decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)
